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Why parents of Marathon bombing victim say no to death penalty

Bill and Denise Richard lost their son, Martin, in the deadly twin blasts at the Boston Marathon two years ago.

Brian Snyder/REUTERS

The family of Boston Marathon bombing victim Martin Richard (R) and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh (L) walk along Boylston Street following a ceremony at the site of the second bomb blast on the second anniversary of the bombings in Boston, Massachusetts April 15, 2015. Martin Richard's father Bill (C) smiles as he walks behind his daughter Jane (2nd L), son Henry (3rd R) and wife Denise (R).

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April 17, 2015

By Associated Press

Boston

The parents of the youngest victim of the Boston Marathon bombing are urging federal authorities to consider taking the death penalty off the table for the man convicted in the case.

Bill and Denise Richard, whose 8-year-old son, Martin, was one of three people killed by the April 2013 explosions at the marathon's finish line, say in a front-page piece in Friday's Boston Globe that sentencing Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death "could bring years of appeals and prolong reliving the most painful day of our lives."

"We are in favor of and would support the Department of Justice in taking the death penalty off the table in exchange for the defendant spending the rest of his life in prison without any possibility of release and waiving all of his rights to appeal," they wrote.

The Richards' daughter, Jane, lost a leg in one of the explosions, and they both suffered injuries.

"We understand all too well the heinousness and brutality of the crimes committed. We were there. We lived it. The defendant murdered our 8-year-old son, maimed our 7-year-old daughter, and stole part of our soul. We know that the government has its reasons for seeking the death penalty, but the continued pursuit of that punishment could bring years of appeals and prolong reliving the most painful day of our lives," they said.

They wrote that when Tsarnaev fades from the media spotlight and public view they can start "rebuilding our lives and family."

The Richards never mention Tsarnaev by name, simply calling him "the defendant," and stressed that they are speaking only for themselves.

US Attorney for Boston Carmen Ortiz says she is aware of the Richards' view but cannot comment on the specifics.

"But as I have previously assured both Bill and Denise, I care deeply about their views and the views of the other victims and survivors," Ortiz said.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a friend of the Richard family, tells WBZ-AM he respects their point of view.

Jennifer Lemmerman, the sister of Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer Sean Collier who was killed by Tsarnaev and his older brother days after the explosions, has also spoken out against the death penalty on her Facebook page, in posts that have since been removed.

Relatives of other victims have expressed support of the death penalty.

The penalty phase of Tsarnaev's trial starts Tuesday, the day after this year's marathon.